Community

The area and the church continued to grow. At the end of 1948 there were 130 members, with a like number average church school attendance. Things had begun to yet crowded. The Board began to look at the options of increasing their facilities on the limited site, or looking for a new site in East Dayton.

A tremendous team came into being. Chet Imhausen, a big. friendly, returned veteran came to Dayton for seminary. He was appointed to the Eastwood-Wright View Churches. Morris Gustin. the lay leader, was appointed to chair a committee for site selection. Morris, lamed but not deterred by polio, led a survey of the East Dayton area of housing trends and membership potential.

The present site of Community was chosen, at Burkhardt (then Kemp) and Meyer Avenue, and an option taken at $2000 per acre. Two thousand people lived within walking distance of the site, and there was only one other Protestant congregation within two miles. The site was purchased in 1952. The name changed to Community Methodist to reflect the heritage and the new community.

An architect was hired, and a master plan conceived. Reality entered as the original plans were scaled down to the congregation's ability to pay. Help came from the Conference, the national church. and a loan from Grace Church.

Meanwhile, the congregation established a second Sunday School site in the Gun Club at Kemp and Shedbourne until such time as the building was completed. Later this was moved to Kemp School because it outgrew the Gun Club. There were a lot of bake sales and chicken suppers. Mike and Louise Sobal drove by the building the first week it was opened, and thought it was just another new school for the area. A few days later, they saw a chicken supper sign, and knew the Methodists were in business.